Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

This pink sandstone relief from ancient Sippar reveals the divine king of Akkad Naram-Sin conquering the mountain tribes of western Iran and doing homage to the sun god. He tramples down the enemy at the head with horns symbolic of deity.

Louvre Excerpt

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin
Susa
Akkad period. Around 2230 BC
Pink Sandstone
H 2 m; W 1.05 m
Sb 4

Description

"Originally this stele was erected in the town of Sippar, centre of the cult of the Sun god, to the north of Babylon. lt was taken as booty to Susa by an Elamite king in the 12th century BC. lt illustrates the victory over the mountain people of western lran by Naram-Sin, 4th king of the Semite dynasty of Akkad, who claimed to be the universal monarch and was deified during his lifetime. He had himself depicted climbing the mountain at the head of his troops. His helmet bears the horns emblematic of divine power. Although it is worn, his face is expressive of the ideal human conqueror, a convention imposed on artists by the monarchy. The king tramples on the bodies of his enemies at the foot of a peak; above it the solar disk figures several times, and the king pays homage to it for his victory" - Louvre

Genesis 15:7 - And he said unto him, I [am] the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

Copyright © 2001 The Louvre Louvre Musée

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Bibliography on Ancient Art

The Art of Ancient Egypt, Revised by Robins, 272 Pages, Pub. 2008